The picture of Governor Carney proudly parading a signed budget bill accompanied by applauding legislators from both parties will be one of the lasting images of Carney’s first legislative session. The smiles and the across the aisle high-fives were the climax of a contentious negotiation process that required overtime to pass a $4 billion budget … Continue reading Delaware’s kids need conviction not compromise from Carney’s administration
How a low-income Delaware student found the “cheat code” to top college admissions
What does a kid do when her elite college dreams are being suffocated by a school system best suited to stifle mobility? How does she erase the seemingly indelible signs of inequitable schooling and resources from her record and etch her name on the registries of colleges meant for the affluent? She cheats. But she … Continue reading How a low-income Delaware student found the “cheat code” to top college admissions
What we don’t know about school boards can hurt us
On Tuesday, May 9th, with minimal vetting and less than 2% of eligible voters casting a ballot, Delaware's slate of school board members will be elected and granted the right to make decisions affecting students and families across the state. With the right smile, slogan, and signs a well-intentioned but eminently unqualified person could assume … Continue reading What we don’t know about school boards can hurt us
Why Carney’s administration should stay the course on school report cards
Governor Carney and Delaware’s Department of Education are about to make it easier for Delaware families to know how their schools are performing. But only if groups such as Delaware’s teachers’ union (DSEA) are not able to impose their will behind the scenes. The Delaware Department of Education recently sided with parents in its final draft … Continue reading Why Carney’s administration should stay the course on school report cards
DeVos can’t destroy public education, but our hypocrisy can
Amid the hullabaloo surrounding Betsy DeVos’ confirmation hearings for U.S.Secretary of Education, there was also a force at work with the potential to destroy American public education---and we missed it. Some of history’s greatest activists and thinkers warned of the need to see even the stealthiest of threats to progress. Malcolm X challenged that liberals … Continue reading DeVos can’t destroy public education, but our hypocrisy can
The results are in for one of the most influential positions in Delaware education
The results are in for one of the most influential positions in Delaware’s education system: Delaware State Education Association (DSEA) President. Voting was open from January 9th through 23rd for the 12,000 members of Delaware’s teachers’ union (DSEA) and the result today was a tie between Mike Matthews and Karen Crouse. The two will enter a runoff election … Continue reading The results are in for one of the most influential positions in Delaware education
Why Susan Bunting as Delaware’s next Secretary of Education will mean progress for kids
A few weeks ago I sounded the alarm about the need for Delaware’s incoming Governor John Carney to stand with students and avoid the “old boys club” in his pick for Secretary of Education. As 2016 drew to a close, Carney selected substance over status quo and nominated Indian River School District (IRSD) Superintendent Dr. … Continue reading Why Susan Bunting as Delaware’s next Secretary of Education will mean progress for kids
An Education System that Honors our Students in 2017
Today, a group of high school students from TeenSHARP (a college prep organization I co-founded in 2009) came to TeenSHARP's office during their winter break for Day 1 of a 3-day "study extravaganza." They spent six hours completing homework, submitting applications to prestigious enrichment opportunities, and getting ahead on their studies before they return to … Continue reading An Education System that Honors our Students in 2017
Kids Deserve More Than the Good Old Boys’ Club in 2017
Word on the street is that some of Delaware’s most entrenched “good old boys” are being considered for Delaware’s Secretary of Education role. And I know there is a well-connected group of education insiders who would applaud Governor-elect Carney for such a pick. But in 2017, I think Delaware kids and schools deserve more than the … Continue reading Kids Deserve More Than the Good Old Boys’ Club in 2017
Students Need us to Quit “Adulting” and Start Acting
One of my 20-month-old daughter’s quirks is that she does not like getting her hands dirty. If she falls outside, she quickly glances at her hands, and then at her parents, expecting us to dust her off with haste. Her teachers tell us she enjoys painting at school, but not the colorful residue it leaves … Continue reading Students Need us to Quit “Adulting” and Start Acting
Urgency of Now 